New York State Assembly

 
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A01026 Summary:

A01026 Actions:

A01026 Committee Votes:

Committee:RULES   Chair:Glick      
DATE:01/14/2025AYE/NAY:29/0  Action: Favorable         
Heastie
Excused
Barclay
Aye
Pretlow
Aye
Hawley
Aye
Cook
Aye
Blankenbush
Aye
Glick
Aye
Ra
Aye
Dinowitz
Aye
Brabenec
Aye
Colton
Aye
Palmesano
Aye
Magnarelli
Aye
Reilly
Aye
Paulin
Aye
Smith
Aye
Peoples-Stokes
Aye
Jensen
Aye
Benedetto
Aye
Lavine
Aye
Lupardo
Aye
Braunstein
Aye
Davila
Excused
Hyndman
Aye
Rozic
Aye
Bronson
Aye
Hevesi
Aye
Hunter
Aye
Taylor
Aye
Cruz
Aye
Vanel
Aye

Committee:HEALTH   Chair:Paulin      
DATE:01/14/2025AYE/NAY:25/0  Action: Favorable refer to committee Rules        
Paulin
Aye
Jensen
Aye
Dinowitz
Aye
Gandolfo
Aye
Rosenthal
Aye
Blumencranz
Aye
Hevesi
Aye
Gray
Excused
Steck
Aye
Maher
Aye
Braunstein
Aye
Slater
Aye
Solages
Aye
Chludzinski
Aye
Bichotte Hermel
Aye
Norber
Aye
Sayegh
Aye
McDonald
Aye
Reyes
Aye
Gonzalez-Rojas
Aye
Rajkumar
Aye
Forrest
Aye
Kelles
Aye
Lucas
Aye
Meeks
Aye
Lunsford
Aye

A01026 Floor Votes:

A01026 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
 submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)



 
BILL NUMBER: A1026
 
SPONSOR: Solages

 
TITLE OF BILL:
 
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to access to doulas;
and to repeal a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public health
law relating to permitting doulas to be present in the operating room
while a cesarean section is being performed, as proposed in legislative
bills numbers S. 5991-A and A. 7606
 
 
PURPOSE:
 
To notify patients of their right to have a doula present during proce-
dures. SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:  This bill amends public health law to
remove the requirement for hospitals to allow patients access to desig-
nated doulas during a c-section as a general right to doula access
during maternal and post-maternal care already exists under current law.
 
 
JUSTIFICATION:
 
Doulas are trained professionals who provide emotional, physical, and
informational support to expecting mothers and their families before,
during, and after childbirth. They serve as advocates for the birthing
people, helping them navigate the healthcare system and providing infor-
mation and encouragement throughout the process.  Research has shown
that having a doula present during childbirth can lead to shorter labor,
reduced need for pain medication, fewer medical interventions, and high-
er rates of breastfeeding.
 
This bill would remove the requirement already present in current law to
reduce redundancy and clarify doula accessibility for birthing parents
to ensure continued support within maternal healthcare facility.
 
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
 
This is a new bill.
 
 
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:
 
None noted.
 
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same 4 manner as
a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public health law relating to
permitting doulas to be present in the operating room while a cesarean
section is being performed, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.
5991-A and A. 7606; provided, however that section two of this act shall
take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the
laws of 2024 amending the public health law relating to permitting
expecting and new mothers' access to their doulas, as proposed in legis-
lative bills numbers S. 5992-A and A. 6168-A, takes effect.

A01026 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          1026
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Health
 
        AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to access to  doulas;
          and to repeal a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public health
          law  relating to permitting doulas to be present in the operating room
          while a cesarean section is being performed, as proposed  in  legisla-
          tive bills numbers S. 5991-A and A. 7606
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. A chapter of the laws of 2024 amending  the  public  health
     2  law  relating  to  permitting doulas to be present in the operating room
     3  while a cesarean section is being performed, as proposed in  legislative
     4  bills numbers S. 5991-A and A. 7606, is REPEALED.
     5    §  2.  Section  2500-m of the public health law is amended by adding a
     6  new subdivision (c) to read as follows:
     7    (c) The department shall require all maternal health  care  facilities
     8  to  include  and/or post on the maternal health care facility's webpage,
     9  lobby, and patient waiting areas information stating a  birthing  parent
    10  is  allowed to have a doula present in the maternal health care facility
    11  for delivery and/or inpatient care post-delivery. Such information shall
    12  be written in layperson's  language  and  shall  be  made  available  in
    13  English and the six most common non-English languages spoken by individ-
    14  uals  with limited English proficiency in New York state as based on the
    15  most recent census. The department shall produce  and  provide  maternal
    16  health  care  facilities with informational pamphlets stating a birthing
    17  parent shall be allowed to have a doula present in the  maternal  health
    18  care  facility  for  delivery  and/or  inpatient care post-delivery. The
    19  informational pamphlet shall be: available in each patient waiting  area
    20  as  a  printed  deliverable;  written  in layperson's language; and made
    21  available in English and  the  six  most  common  non-English  languages
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02853-01-5
        A. 1026                             2
 
     1  spoken by individuals with limited English proficiency in New York state
     2  as based on the most recent census.
     3    §  2.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
     4  manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public  health  law
     5  relating  to permitting doulas to be present in the operating room while
     6  a cesarean section is being performed, as proposed in legislative  bills
     7  numbers  S.  5991-A  and  A. 7606; provided, however that section two of
     8  this act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as  a
     9  chapter  of  the laws of 2024 amending the public health law relating to
    10  permitting expecting  and  new  mothers'  access  to  their  doulas,  as
    11  proposed  in  legislative  bills numbers S. 5992-A and A.  6168-A, takes
    12  effect.

A01026 LFIN:

 
NO LFIN

A01026 Chamber Video/Transcript: